Gaming devices, particularly slot machines, have been known to include multiple pay lines and to configure the display of a slot machine so that three different symbols on a single reel are visible. Known pay lines have been configured to extend across three reels of a slot machine to include one of the three visible indicia from each reel. Known pay line configurations have included, for example; pay line number 1 on the center row; pay line number 2 on the top row; pay line number 3 on the bottom row; pay line number 4 on a diagonal from the upper left row to the lower right column; pay line number 5 on a diagonal from the lower left column extending upward to the upper right indicia; and additional pay line number 6 which extends across the three reels in non-linear fashion to include one indicia from each reel. 9-way pay lines have been disclosed for three reel machines in U.S. Pat. No. 5,807,172 to Piechowiak (“the Piechowiak patent”). The additional 3 pay lines found in the Piechowiak patent are formed of the two upper corner indicia in combination the center indicia, the two lower corner symbols in combination with the center symbol, the two outer indicia of the middle row in combination with the upper middle indicia, and the two outer indicia of the middle row in combination with the lower middle indicia.
Recently, slot machines having as many as 27 pay lines have been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,580,053 to Crouch (“the Crouch patent”). The Crouch patent makes use of 5 reels with 3 indicia per reel, with the various pay line configurations extending across the 5 reels. To achieve 27 pay lines, the Crouch patent makes use of continuously adjacent, but not necessarily horizontally or diagonally extending, indicia positions in all 5-reel columns. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,676,506 and 4,817,951, also to Crouch, respectively disclose the use of a variable odds indicator to modify the payouts for different poker hands on poker machines and a player operated instant lottery machine.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,535 to Tibero discloses a compound win line that combines at least one indicia from each reel and two or more indicia from a single reel.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,093,102 to Bennett (“the Bennett patent”) discloses a gaming machine with a 5 by 3 display matrix in which players are able to select their own pay lines by selecting at least one indicia of their choice in each of the 5 adjacent columns of the display. By teaching that a “pay line” may constitute all possible combinations of player-selected indicia positions extending across each of the 5 columns of the display, the Bennett patent discloses 243 potential pay lines.
Typically, a single wager will activate a single pay line, such as the center pay line, and extra coins will activate additional pay lines. In PCT Application Number PCT/US99/23011, pay line buttons are disclosed which allow a player to make independent wagers for each pay line.
While players enjoy wagering on the multiple pay line slot machines, those skilled in the art will appreciate that players enjoy the excitement which accompanies new and different wagering options. In this regard, the previously known wagering methods and sequences are time consuming and, in some ways, limiting to a player. For example, a player may wish to activate more than one pay line with a single wager. It would also be desirable in some instances, to increase the player's rate of making wagers. It would be further desirable to increase a player's wagering options when wagering on a multiple pay line gaming device.
These and other advantages are provided with various embodiments of the present invention.